Teaching Bilinguals (Even if You're Not One): A CUNY-NYSIEB Webseries

Join CUNY-NYSIEB Research Assistant, Sara Vogel, on a journey across New York City and State to learn how teachers draw on their students’ diverse language practices as resources in their learning!

Episode 1: Getting Acquainted

CUNY-NYSIEB believes in leveraging students’ home language practices to promote their learning. But what if you don’t share those practices? What can you do? In this episode, learn about our philosophy and approach, and meet your host.

Episode 2: Being an Advocate for Bilingual Students

English as a New Language Teacher, Jennifer Conte, and 5th grade teacher, Elizabeth Condon-Kim, from Bedford Hills Elementary School share their tips for establishing classroom cultures that welcome and advocate for bilingual students.

Episode 3: Bilingual Superpowers

Elyn Ballantyne-Berry, an English as a New Language teacher at PS 126 in Chinatown, Manhattan, NY, describes how her elementary and middle school bilingual superheroes translanguaged as they created autobiographical graphic novels.

Episode 4: Knowing Your Students

Ms. Charene Chapman-Santiago, an 8th grade English Language Arts teacher at Ebbets Field Middle School in Brooklyn, tells us how she gets to know her students — despite not always sharing their language backgrounds.

Episode 5: The Benefits of Bilingual Ed

Ms. Gladys Aponte, a teacher at PS 149 in Jackson Heights, Queens invites her fourth graders to reflect on what being bilingual means to them. Along the way, she tells us about the benefits of programs that foster students’ bilingualism and biliteracy.